The road will link the A145 London Road to Ellough to the south east of the town, providing faster access to Beccles Business Park and the Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft Enterprise Zone, which together with the B1127 Copland Way will form a southern and eastern bypass of Beccles.

Jim Chaplin, technical director of the EDP/EADT Top 100 company, said: “We’re delighted to have been selected by Suffolk County Council to build this much needed relief road. Jackson works on civil engineering projects across the country, but it’s always great to win work on our home turf and build things which will have such a positive impact on our local communities.”

James Finch, Suffolk County Council’s cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “Once complete, the Beccles Relief Road will reduce congestion and pollution in the town centre as well as providing an economic boost for the area.

“The road will be a benefit for motorists, business owners, pedestrians and cyclists – and getting Jackson on board is a positive step in the right direction to getting this road built and open to traffic.”

The project is being funded with £5m from the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and £2m from Suffolk County Council. Construction will start in September and the road is expected to take 18 months to build.

Chris Starkie, managing director of New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “The building of a new relief road for Beccles will provide far reaching benefits for businesses and residents in the town and surrounding area.

“Those benefits can only be enhanced with the selection of Jackson Civil Engineering, supporting a local supply chain and having a further positive impact on the wider economy of the east.”

Jackson Civil Engineering has seven offices across the country and a headquarters in Ipswich. It turns over around £80m a year and works on projects ranging in value from £500,000 to £20m.

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